Motor driven sleigh



June 21, 1932. EMlGH 1,864,041

v MOTOR DRIVEN SLEIGH Filed March 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 21, 1932.

H. E. EMIGH MOTOR DRIVEN SLEIGH Filed March 29, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED TATES HAROLD E..EMIGH, OF WALDIEN, COLORADO MOTOR. DRIVEN 'sLEren Application filed m rches, 930. Serial no. 439,971.

This invention relates to a motor sleigh and has for its principal object the provision ofa safe, comfortable, highly efficient sleigh for carrying passengers and freight over snow or frozen surfaces.

Particular objects of the invention-are: to provide a highly efficient front runner support which will cushion the jars from the runners and which will'allow the two runners to independently follow irregularities in the roadway without efiecting their alignment or straight ahead position; to providemeans whereby wheels can be-brought into engagement with the ground from the operators position while the sleigh is in motion should it be found that there is not suflicient snow to allow the runners to properly function; to provide an eflicient brake which will enable the operator to quickly control or stop the sleigh; to provide a highly'eificient rudder system which will function both'by engagement with the ground and with the air; and to provide a propeller shield which will prevent the air blast from the propeller from swirling snow and ice about the body.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention which is designed for simplicity,'economy, and efliciency. These will become more apparent from the following description. .In the following detailed vdescription of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a partzhereof.

Like numerals refer to likeparts in allviews of the drawings; and throughout the description.

In the drawings: 7 I i a Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the improved motor sleigh.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe forward portion of the sleigh'with the motor removed, illustrating the motor frame and front runner construction.

Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the stern post with its attachments. In this view the fuselage and rudder covering has been omitted. a

Fig. 4 is a vertical section through one of the front runner standards illustrating .the shock absorbing features thereof.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the relationship of theoperators controls. V

The sleigh'comprises a body or fuselage 10, preferably constructed according to the pres 55 ent practice in aircraft fuselages, provided with a suitable windshield 11,.passenger door 12, and cowl 13." Supporting the fuselage throughout its length are a series of longron's 14 which terminate at the rear in a tubular stern post 15 and at the front in upper and lower cross struts 16 and 17, respectively. These cross struts l6 and 17' form horizontal braces" in an A-shaped motor frame 18.

-The motor frame 18*is provided with a plate or' ring 19 for attachment to the crank case of anysuitable motor 20. The motor 20'is arranged'to drive a tractor-type propeller 21 and is braced from the fuselage by suitable angle brace members 22. The motor frame 18 is formed of tubing'and extends outwardly and downwardly at each side of the fuselage terminating in a pair of forward runners 23. p

The runners 23 are hinged by means of side plates 24 upon the extremities of hinge pins 25 which pass through clevises formed upon the lower extremities of runner posts 26. The runner posts 26 extend into thehollow tubing of the depending legs of'the motor frame 18. 'Each of these legs is provided at its bottom with a flange 27 and the runner posts 26 are provided with asimilar flange 28. A series of rubber cushions "or thick scrubber washers 29are placed about the posts 26 between the flanges 27 p and 28 to formshock absorbers for the forward runners. .Itwill be noted that the runners 23 are free torock in independent vertical arcs. over irregularities in the. roadway. To prevent them from turning out of alignment, however, a tie bar 30 extends between their forward extremities, terminating in ball and socket joints 31 at each runner. The tie bar 30 is prevented from moving sideward by means 'of a V-shaped radius rod 32 which is secured at its apex in a ball and socket 33to the cross rod 30. The radius rod 32 is secured at'its extremitiesby means of hinge joints 34 to a guard rail 35 which extends forwardly from the motor frame 18. The guard rail 35 is braced by means of a pair of guard braces 36 from the motor frame 18.

It will be noted that by this construction either of the runners 23 is free to rock to any desired vertical angle independently of the other runner yet they are prevented from swinging in a horizontal arc. This results in the sleigh maintaining an absolutely straight course regardless of road irregularities.

An apron 37 is positioned within the guard rail 35 to prevent the down draft from the propeller from being blown under the fuselage to disturb and form clouds of snow' which might obstruct the vision of the driver.

The rear of the fuselage 10 is supported upon a guide runner 38 which is hinged at 39 to the lower extremity of a rudder shaft 40 which extends upwardly within the hollow stern post 15 and projects from the top thereof. A steering arm member 41 is secured to and projects oppositely outward from the rudder shaft 40. The mem-ber 41 is separated from a flange 42, on the bottom of the stern post 15, by aseries of thick rubber washers 43 which form a shock absorber for the rear of the fuselage. Pins 44 extend upwardly from each extremity of the steering member 41.

The sleigh is guided by means of a steering wheel 45, the column 46 of which carries a cable drum 47. A steering cable 48 extends from turn buckles 49, secured to the upper extremities of the pins 44, under. idler pulleys 50 and around the drum 47 It will be noted that rotation of the steering wheel 45 will rotate the steering shaft 40 and with it the rear runner 38. The pins 44 are employed so as to position the cable 48 as closely to the bottom of thefuselage as possible and still allow sufiicient clearance for the insertion of the rubber washers 43.

Additional steering effect is provided by means of an air rudder 51, the frame of which is indicated in Fig. 3 at 51'. The rudder 51 is hinged by means of any suitable hinges 52 to the stern post 15. It is caused to move in unison with the guide runner 38 by means of a pair of arms 53 which extend oppositely outward from the upper extremity of the rudder shaft 40. The arms 53 are connected by means of apair of links 54 with guide stems 55 upon the rudder frame 51. The connection with the stems 55 is through the medium of sliding collars 56 which move upwardly and downwardly on the stems 55 as the rubber washers are compressed and expanded.

By this construction movement of the steering wheel 45 will move both the guide runner 38 and the rudder 51 so that, should the rudder be unable to obtain sufiicient traction on a slippery surface, it will be assisted by the air resistance on the rudder 51.

A brake shaft 57 extends across the fuselage forward of the operators position to which is secured a brake pedal 58. The extremities of the brake shaft 57 terminate in brake levers 59. On the rear of each of the forward runners 23 U-shaped brake shoes 60 are pivoted. The rearward extremities of the brake shoes are normallylifted by means of coil springs 61. The forward extremities of the brake shoes 60 are connected by means of chains or cables 62 to the brake levers 59 so that pressure on the pedal 58 will depress the rearward extremities of the brake 60 causing them to. engage in the surface of the roadway. The pedal 58 is returned to its normal position by means of a spring 63.

Often while traveling in a motor sleigh stretches of roadway will be encountered where there is not suflicient snow and 'ice to provide a good runway for the runners, Such conditions are also encountered when the sleigh is placed in a hangar or building for storage. To accommodate such situations as this emergency wheels 64 are provided at each side of the cowl portion 13,

The wheels64 are carried on the rearward extremities of arms-65 which are hinged at 66 upon the strut17. The wheels aresupportedby a fork 67, the stem of which enters, and acts as a piston within, a hydraulic cylinder 68. The hydraulic cylinders 68 are hinged at 69 upon the upper strut 16. The wheels 64 are normally maintained raised from the ground by means of coil springs 70, which may extend between the forks 67 and the strut 16.

The wheels64 are forced downwardly into contact with the ground when desired by means of hydraulic pressure generated within a pump cylinder 71. The piston in the pump cylinder 71 is actuated from a foot pedal 72. Suitable liquid for use in the pump cylinder may be stored in a storage reservoir 73 which feeds to the pump cylinder through a feed pipe 74. Pressure pipes 75 connect the pump cylinder with the hydraulic cylinders 68. Thus, the operator can at any desired time Without leaving his seat bring the wheels 64 into contact with the ground.

Springs 76 are provided to lift the front runners and prevent the runner posts 26 from falling from the motor frame when it is elevated by the wheels. A shock absorber cushion 77 is positioned between the cylinders 68 and the forks 67 to cushion the vibration between these two elements caused by irregularities in the roadway.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A motor sleigh comprising: a fuselage; a pair of forward runners supporting the forward portion of said fuselage; means for maintaining said runners parallel with the axis of said fuselage; a rear guide runner; means for turning said gear guide runner in a horizontal plane to guide said fuselage; an air rudder extending rearwardly from said fuselage; means for causing said air rudder to swing simultaneously with said rear runner; comprising: a tubular stern post, a steering shaft rotatably mounted in said stern post and projecting above the top thereof; arms projecting from said steering post; hooked arms projectingfrom said rudder; and links slidable on said hooked arms communicating the motion of said steering post arms thereto a power operated propeller arranged to propel said fuselage.

2. A motor sleigh comprising: a fuselage; a pair of forward runners supporting the forward portion of said fuselage; means for maintaining said runners parallel with the axis of said fuselage; a rear guide runner;

means for turning said rear guide runner in a horizontal plane to gulde said fuselage; a

power operated propeller arranged to propel said fuselage; a hinge for each of said forward rudders to allow it to swing in a vertical arc; a tie member connecting the forward extremities of said forward runners; universal joints between said tie member and said runners; a hinged radius rod extending forwardly from said fuselage; a universal joint between said radius rod and said tie member; and means for preventing said radius rod from swinging laterally so as to allow said runners to swing independently in vertical arcs and prevent them from moving in horizontal arcs.

3. A combined motor and runner support for motor sleighs comprising: an A-shaped frame adapted to be secured transversely of said sleigh; means for attaching a motor at the apex of said A the lower extremities of the legs thereof being turned downwardly; shafts slidable within said lower extremities; resilient means arranged to cushion thesliding of said shafts; runners hinged to the lower extremities of said shafts; a cross bar universally connected between the forward extremities of said runners; a V-shaped radius rod a universal joint between the apex of said V-shaped radius rod and said cross members and hinges for the opposite extremities of said V-shaped radius rod.

4. A brake for attachment to the runners of a motor sleigh comprising: a U-shaped brake shoe adapted to extend from one side of said i runner rearwardly, across and back to the other side of said runner; means for pivoting said shoe through said runner and through the two sides of said U; spring means for In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

HAROLD E. EMIGH. 

